Alaska lawmaker returns home after refusing search

AUKE BAY, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska state lawmaker is vowing to fight for the rights of travelers who have been subjected to what she considers intrusive airport searches by federal airport screeners.

A jubilant Rep. Sharon Cissna arrived in Juneau after a four-day ordeal that began with her refusal to submit to a full-body pat-down at a Seattle airport Sunday and ended today when she arrived outside Juneau on a state ferry.

Cissna said travelers are “accidentally being abused by government,” and it’s an issue that must be dealt with.

Cissna is a cancer survivor who has had a mastectomy. She underwent the full-body scan at the Seattle airport but was singled out for a further pat-down search, her second within three months. She refused after vowing to never have the procedure again.